Alexander govan



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No. 500,384. Patented June 27, 1893.

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MUD GUARD FOR VBLOGIPEDES. No. 500,384. Patented June 27, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ALEXANDER GOVAN, OF GLASGOWT, SCOTLAND.

MUD-GUARD FOR VELOCIPEDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,384, dated June2'7, 1893. Applicationfiled January 31, 1893. Serial No. 460,448. (Nomodel.) Patented in England .l'une 2'7, 1892,1T0. 11,931.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER GovAN, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Glasgow, in the county of Lanai-k, Scotland, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Mud-Guards for Velocipedes,(for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 11,931,bearingdate June 27, 1892,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the mud-guards of bicycles andtricycles and other velocipedes, and it consists in constructing them sothat they shall be detachable, collapsible and portable, and thereforemore convenient and useful than the fixed sheet metal mud-guardsheretofore in use.

The improvements essentially consist in constructing the mud-guards inthe form of a series of sectional or segmental parts jointed orconnected together, so that when not required for use they can bedetached from the cycle and folded up into a small compass and be storedor carried in a bag on the velocipede or in pocket of the rider readyfor reuse when the necessity for them arises.

In applying these improvements I construct the mud-guards in the form ofa series of open rectangular links of steel or other suitable metal.These links are hinged or jointed together by knuckle or stop hinges orjoints so that they can only be folded in one direction. When the guardis applied to a cycle these linked parts are sprung or curved to thecontour of the wheel at the time of applying them to such. This linkedguard frame is covered with waterproof cloth or other suitable materialto complete the guard. The one end of the linked mud-guard frame whenapplied to the front wheel of a velocipede is attached to the frontfork, and when applied to the rear wheel, to the stays which connect thesaddle pillar with the axle of the rear wheel or to any other convenientpart of the main frame, preferably by having the free ends of the endlink of the frame inserted through duplex slots in a plate or bracketfixed to the fork stays or other part of the frame, while the other endof the frame is connected by swivel joints to radial links or staysconnected together by similar joints and secured by thumb screws or nutsto plates or brackets mounted on the axle of the wheel or on to the forkor frame adjacent thereto.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention Figure 1,Sheet No. 1, is a broken view in side elevation showing the applicationof my improved mud-guard to the front wheel of a cycle. Figs. 2and 3,Sheet No. 2, are broken views in side elevation and plan respectivelyshowing one method of constructing the open rectangular links formingthe frame of the guard. Figs. 4, and 5, Sheet No. 3, are broken views inside elevation and plan respectively showing the bracket for carryingthe mud-guard for the front Wheel of a velocipede, and Figs. 6 and 7 aresimilar views of the bracket for carrying the guard for the rear wheelof a velocipede. Figs. 8 and 9, Sheet No. 3, are broken views in sideelevation and plan respectively of the plate or bracket for attachingthe stays of the guard to the wheel axle, and Figs. 10 and 11, Sheet No.3, are broken views in side and front elevation respectively showing amethod of attaching the auxiliary stays to the framework of the guard.

Throughout the several views similar parts are marked with like lettersof reference.

The frame of the guard consists of a series of open rectangular links Aof steel or other suitable metal. These links preferably consist ofduplex parallel longitudinal rods or wires a, a, jointed at their endsby eyes a, a, to transverse rods a a the ends of which may either berecessed to receive the said eyes, or they may have collars thereonagainst which the eyes of the rods or wires bear, the ends of the saidtransverse rods being riveted up against washers placed thereon, or thejoints may be made in any other suitable manner. The transverse rods a aare formed with flat projecting parts a adapted to act as knuckle orstop hinges, the object being to prevent the links from being turnedwith respect to each other in one direction out of a straight line, sothatv when the frame of the guard is sprung or curved to follow thecontour of the wheel the said frame does not give at the hinges but issprung equally round the rectangular links forming the said frame.

The frame A is covered with waterproof cloth, or other suitable materialto complete the guard, the said covering being omitted in all the viewsof the drawings for the sake of distinctness.

The frame of the guard is attached at one end to the fork or frame ofthe machine by means of a bracket B as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and7, Sheet No. 3, of the accompany ing drawings. These brackets B areprovided with duplex slots b, b, with which the free ends of the rods orwires a, a, forming the sides of the end rectangular link A engage inthe manner illustrated by the said views, the said ends being keptfirmly engaged with the slots in the bracket when the frame of the guardis bent to follow the contour of the wheel.

To the free end of the rectangular link A forming the other end of theframe are pivotally attached stay rods 0, G, which are preferably formedin two parts hinged together at or about the center of their lengths asshown by Fig. 1, Sheet No. 1, of the accompanying drawings to facilitatetheir being folded into a small space. The free ends of these stays areadapted to be clamped to plates or brackets D, D, fixed to the axle ofthe wheel by means of fly nuts (I, d, or other suitable devices.

To stiffen the guard frame I sometimes use auxiliary stays O, 0,preferably fulcrated to the stays O, 0, at the joints of the two lengthsof each of the said stays. The free ends of these auxiliary stays arehooked to enable them to engage with the projections a a on one of thelinks A as illustrated by Figs. 10 and 11, Sheet No. 3,01 theaccompanying drawlugs.

The covering of the guard frame may extend any convenient distancebeyond the said frame, and when the said extension is applied to a guardfor the rear wheel of a velocipede it may be provided with suitablestraps or fastenings for its attachment to the frame of the machineforward of the said wheel.

As a modification the rectangular links A may be replaced by flat springplates thus dispensing with the fabric covering.

It will be seen that as the frame of this guard has to be sprung orcurved when applying it to a wheel its elasticity suffices to render itrigid and keep it engaged with the bracket supporting it. To detach theguard all that is necessary is to unscrew the thumb screws or nutsattaching the ends of the stays to the plates or brackets carried by theaxle of the wheel, when the top end of the frame of the guard can beimmediately released from the bracket carrying it. The auxiliary stays Oare then detached from the projections a, a thus allowing the links Aforming the frame to be folded one on to the other, and the stays to befolded along side the links, so

that the guard can bestored in a bag on the cycle or in the pocket ofthe rider ready for re-use when necessity arises.

I wish it to be particularlyunderstood that I do not limitmyself to theprecise details of construction as hereinbefore described and shown, butthat I hold myself at liberty to make such changes and alterationstherein as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

I am aware that prior to my invention detachable and folding mud-guardshave been used and Ido not therefore claim such broadly as myinvention,but

What I desire to claim by Letters Patent 1s- 1. A mud-guard consistingof a series of links or their equivalents hinged or pivoted together sothat they can only be folded in 1 one direction, and when applied to acycle are sprung or curved in the opposite direction to follow thecontour of the wheel, of a flexible cover fitted over the said links ortheir equivhinged together and adapted to connect the free end of theguard frame with the fork or frame of the velocipede, as and forthepurpose set forth.

3. In a mud-guard for the wheels of velocipedes, the combination of thelinksAor their equivalents hinged or pivoted together by knuckle or stophinges to form the frame of the guard; of the stays C, 0, adapted toconnect the frame of the guard with the frame ;of the machine; of thebrackets, 13, 13, having duplicate slots 1), 1), adapted to be attachedto the frame of the velocipede and support one end of the frame of theguard; and of the plates or brackets D, D, adapted to be fixed to theaxle of the wheel and to receive the ends of the stays (J, 0, allsubstantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER GOVAN.

Witnesses:

FRANK ADAMS, JOSHUA HUTCHINSON.

